Improvement in station-indicators



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C. BARTON. lStato'n Indicators.

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C. BARTON. Station Indicators.

Patented May 20,1873.

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CHARLES BARTON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN STATION-INDICATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 138,989, dated May 20, 1873; application filed February 25, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES BARTON, of the city of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Railroad-Station Indicators, of which the following is a specification:

My invention relates to the combination of ldetachable strips of mica, or other transparent material, (having the names of the stations,) with an endless apron, and means for moving the apron at the right times to indicate the approach to the stations, as follows:

Figure l is a front elevation of the case A, with which the several parts of the indicator are connected. Fig. 2, Sheet No. 2, is a vertical section, at the line :v fr, of Fig. 2. Fig. 3, Sheet No. 3, .is a side elevation ofthe case A, and parts attached. Fig. 4, Sheet No.4, is a rear elevation. Fig. 5, Sheet No. 5, is a face View of a portion of the apron O, having station name-plates and India-rubber strips in connection.

Like letters in all the iigures indicate thev same parts.

A is a case, which I place at one end of the car, in a conspicuous place, so as to be readily seen by all the passengers. It contains a series of rollers, B B B B, seen more clearly in Fig. 2. The journals of the rollers turn in the parallel sides z of the case A. Gis an endless apron, which surrounds the rollers B, and is carried forward by them to present the names of the stations to the opening aof the case A, as hereinafter described. The names of the stations are on plates, D, of glass, mica, or other equivalent material, which I combine with the apron by means of strips, E, of India rubber or other suitable material. The said strips are sewed or otherwise confined to the apron at its edges, and have slits b, as seen in Fig. 5, for receiving the ends of the plates D. On one end of the rollers B there is a toothed wheel, F, with which the spring-detent Gr engages in the upward movement of the vertical slide H, so as to turn the roller partly around, and with it the apron O, to bring the name of a station opposite the opening a of the case A, in view of the passengers, the detent being hung to the plate I, pivoted to the slide, as seen in Figs. 3 and 4. The passengers are notified of the approach of a train to the station by the hammer J striking the gong K, the hammer being actuated by the pin or wire c striking against the lever el of the hammer. The slide H is actuated by means of condensed air in the cylinder Lpressing upon the piston M, the piston-rod N being projected from the lower end of the slide H. After the operation of the detent G, the piston is returned to its downward position by the action of the wire spring O, and the head c of the slide H is thereby brought between two teeth of the wheel F, thus holding the roller secure without the use of an ordinary pawl. A pipe connected with the cylinder L is extended to the engine, and air is forced through and compressed in the cylinder by any suitable mechanism, under the control of the engineer, as the stations are approached, so that, in the upward movement of the. piston, the sliding rod H, operating the detent G, engages it with a tooth of the wheel F, whereby the rollers B are carried partly around, so as to carry the apron C forward and present the name of the station to the opening a of the case A, in view of the passengers, the gong K being struck by the hammer J, as hereinbefore described. Before the train is started on the return route, the plate I is shifted, so as to take the detent G out of the way of the wheel F and bring the detent G into connection there with for a reverse movement of the apron G, as the train returns in the opposite direction, so as to indicate the arrivals at the stations in the reverse order. The slide H is provided with a knob, f, for its manipulation by the conductor or brakesman in case of an emergency, when, from any cause, the engineer has failed to operate the slide. The roller B, carrying the toothed wheel F, is provided with spurs, which stick through the apron O to insure a positive and accurate movement of the same. One of the rollers B is adjustable, so as to take up the slack of the apron O, by means of the vertical slots g, which containthe journals of the same, and the adjustable inclined bearings lt. The parallel sides of the case A, at the ends of the rollers B, are provided with panes of glass, P, forvthe transmission of light into the space Q, between the rollers B, so as to give distinctness to the names of the stations. For a complete illumination of the names at night, I combine a burner, It, with the projection S of the case A. In the drawing the burner is represented on the pipe T, for the use of gas; any other light may be used when 2. The combination of the aircylinder L and piston M, the slide H, hinged plate I, pawl G, and toothed wheel E, for operating the endless a-pron C, substantially as and for the purpose above described.

3. The combination of the head c of the slide H with the toothed Wheel F, for holding the roller B securely in position, substantially as described.

CEAS. BARTON.

Witnesses THOMAS J. BEWLEY, STEPHEN UsrIcK. 

